Support assembly for collapsible bags

ABSTRACT

A support assembly is disclosed for holding collapsible bags in either horizontal or vertical attitudes in which a clamping assembly in the form of a ring and a complementary clamping means has attached thereto a foot stake coplanar with the ring and adapted to be pressed into the ground to hold a bag open on a horizontal axis and in which the foot stake can be inserted into a support to hold the bag open on a vertical axis.

United States Patent 1 Trotta [451 Mar. 12, 1974 1 SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FORCOLLAPSIBLE BAGS [76] Inventor: Edward Trotta, 130 Hobson Ave.,

St. James, NY, 11780 [22] Filed: Apr. 19, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 245,478

[52] US. Cl 248/97, 248/101, 248/156 [51]- Int. Cl B65!) 67/12 [58]Field of Search 248/97, 99, 100, 101, 95, 248/156; l5/257.l, 257.8

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1935 McConnell 248/9910/1972 Schultz 2/1972 Ross 248/97 758,015 4/1904 Miller 248/1561,322,445 l1/l9l9 Hyer 248/97 1,542,164 6/1925 Nelson 248/97 FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 400,007 4/1966 Switzerland i. 248/97 PrimaryExaminerEdward C. Allen [57] ABSTRACT 6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures ISUPPORT ASSEMBLY FOR COLLAPSIBLE BAGS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Refusebags, particularly formed of sheet plastic,

have become widely accepted as an inexpensive and efficient means forcollecting refuse including ground rakings as well as general housetrash. Numerous devices are available for holding the bags open on avertical axis for loading, but they tend either to be costly or lackversatility as, for example, the ability to hold a bag open on ahorizontal axis on the ground for filling using a garden rake.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide auniversal bag-holding assembly which is simple in its design andoperation, and which can be utilized to hold a bag in either horizontalor vertical axes and which can be easily stored and shipped in a flatcontainer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, there isprovided a support assembly for bags, particularly extruded sheetplastic bags, in which there is formed in a common plane and preferablyfrom a single piece of tubular material, a primary support ring and afoot stake extending from the side and adapted to be pressed into theground to hold the ring in a vertical plane or, alternatively, to beslipped into an anchoring sleeve on a vertical support member to holdthe bag open on a vertical axis. A bag can be secured to the primaryring by folding its margin over the ring and clamping, either by meansof a single clamping ring complementary to the primary ring, or by aplurality of individual clamps. The primary support ring is preferablyformed in an out-ofround configuration including a straight portion extending in either direction from the foot stake so that when mounted onthe ground on a horizontal axis with thestake pressed into the ground,an extended opening results flush with the ground. A second supportingmember, including a vertical stem adapted to be pressed into the groundor otherwise supported, carries a horizontal mounting sleeve at itsupper end to receive the foot stake to hold the bag open on a verticalaxis, with the sleeve also forming a transverse handle for pressing thestem into the ground. The primary support ring can be locked againsttilting at the horizontal plane I by means of an interlock between themounting sleeve and a portion of the support ring offset from themounting stake.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS larged scale taken on the line 4--4 ofFIG. 3 looking upwardly in the direction of the arrows, and showing thedetachable coupling with the vertical member;

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIGS. 1 and2, the support assembly is illustrated holding a collapsible bag, suchas an extruded thin-wall plastic bag 10, on a horizontal axis forfilling from the side by means, for example, of a garden rake. Thesupport assembly includes a primary support ring 11 which can be formedof a single piece of heavy metal wire and includes a mounting stakeportion Ila pressed into the ground, a first straight limb 11b, anarcuate portion 11c, and a second straight limb 11d coextensive with thecorresponding limb 11b, all formed in a common plane. The stake isadapted to be pressed into the ground using the foot and, when pressedinto the ground, the two straight limbs extending from either side ofthe stake rest on the ground to present a wide mouth into which materialcan be easily raked or pushed. v

Thebag 10 is folded over the primary support ring 11 and clamped inplace by clamping means 12 which can take the form of a plurality ofindividual clamps as shown in the drawing, or if preferred by a singleclamp having a shape corresponding to that of the primary ring andhaving a U-shaped cross-section to clamp over the primary ring. Theindividual clamps can take the form of resilient members formed ofrubber or plastic mountedon the primary support ring and including, asbest seen in FIG. 1A, a mounting sleeve 12a adapted to be snapped overor slipped into the circular wire of the primary support ring 11 and aU-shaped body portion 12b, the outer limb of which presses against thesleeve 12a. The clamp can be held against turning as by adhesive meansor detents (not shown). Also, friction surfaces, such as serrations 12d,can be formed at.

the contacting faces of the clamp. In operation, the edge of the plasticbag is drawn into the U-shaped body to be held by the friction surfaces.

The support assemblycan be mounted for filling in a vertical axis, asseen in FIG. 3, by means of a vertical support '13 which can also be aground stake of extended length and having a transverse handle 14attached to its upper end. The handle 14 is a tubular sleeve member, theinside diameter of which is slightly larger than the diameter of themounting stake 11a, which is adapted to be inserted therein. In order toprevent tilting motion out of the horizontal plane of the primarysupport ring when it is inserted in the sleeve 14, an offset 15 isformed in the mounting stake near its inner end which is adapted to bereceived in a shallow groove or slot 14a formed in the sleeve 14, asbest seen in FIG. 4. I

Alternatively, as seen in FIG. 4A, the sleeve 14 can be formed with ahorizontally disposed slot 14b adapted to receive the inner end of thelimb 11b of the primary support ring as shown in FIG. 4A, thuseliminating the need for the offset 15. Because the horizontal slotextends through both walls of the sleeve, it is effective as a lockagainst tilting movement whichever way the primary ring is mounted inthe sleeve.

Referring to FIG. 5, a modification of the invention is illustrated inwhich the primary support ring 11 can be identical to that disclosed inFIGS. 1 and 2, with the addition, however, of a short tubular sleeve 16affixed to the ring at its junction with the mounting or foot stake 11a.The connection is preferably made, as best seen in enlarged scale inFIG. 5A, by seating the ring 11in a recess 16a in the end of the tubularmember 16 and welding it in place. The vertical support for holding theprimary support ring on a horizontal axis (for vertical filling) is astraight rod 17 which can be readily pressed into the ground by fittingthe sleeve 16 over it and pressing downward. The ring member 11 crossingthe upper end of the sleeve 16 defines a stop for the rod 17. In theevent it is desired to support the assembly without pressing the rod 17into the ground, a bottom support, indicated generally by the numeral 18in FIG. 5, can be used. The bottom support 18 can take the form of aring unit identical to the primary support ring but inverted to presentits sleeve member 16 facing upwardly to receive the rod 17. Thethree-piece assembly can be readily dismantled for flat storage and, asin the case of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, the primary support ringscan be used individually as bag holders for horizontal filling. 7

While the invention has been described having reference to the preferredembodiments thereof, it will be understood that it can take variousother forms and arrangements within the scope of the invention. Itshould not, therefore, be regarded as limited except as defined in thefollowing claims:

I claim:

1. A bag-mounting attachment comprising a primary support ring includinga first portion defining a desired bag opening, a second portiondefining a mounting stake extending radially away from the first portionin a common plane therewith, said first portion having a straightportion adapted to overlie the ground in close proximity thereto whenthe stake is pressed into the ground, said mounting stake being disposedsubstantially centrally with respect to said straight portion, and anarcuate portion joining the outer ends of the straight portion, andclamping means on the first portion to secure the edge of a bag thereto,whereby with the stake pressed into the ground material can be loadedhorizontally into a bag held by said clamping means, the straightportion, the arcuate portion and the mounting stake being formed as asingle integrated unit from one continuous length of rigid wire-likematerial.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including a vertical mountingmember for holding the support ring in a horizontal plane for holding abag on a vertical axis, and a transverse tubular member at the upper endof the vertical member into which said mounting stake can be inserted.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, a vertical mounting member havinga lower end adapted to be pressed into the ground, said transversesleeve defining a handle.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including means to lock theprimary mounting ring against tilting out of the horizontal planeincluding a slot in said transverse tubular member to receive a portionof the primary mounting ring which is offset from the mounting stake.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including a mounting sleevesecured to the primary ring at the junction between the mounting stakeand the ring and disposed with its axis perpendicular to the plane ofthe support ring, and means to close the upper end of the sleeve,whereby the support ring can be mounted on a horizontal plane forvertical filling by fitting the sleeve over a vertical support, andwhereby the sleeve and ring can be used as a handle to press a verticalmember into the ground.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, said means to close the upper endof the sleeve comprising a recess formed in the upper end of the sleeveand means to secure a portion of the primary support ring in the recessto extend across the upper end of the sleeve.

1. A bag-mounting attachment comprising a primary support ring includinga first portion defining a desired bag opening, a second portiondefining a mounting stake extending radially away from the first portionin a common plane therewith, said first portion having a straightportion adapted to overlie the ground in close proximity thereto whenthe stake is pressed into the ground, said mounting stake being disposedsubstantially centrally with respect to said straight portion, and anarcuate portion joining the outer ends of the straight portion, andclamping means on the first portion to secure the edge of a bag thereto,whereby with the stake pressed into the ground material can be loadedhorizontally into a bag held by said clamping means, the straightportion, the arcuate portion and the mounting stake being formed as asingle integrated unit from one continuous length of rigid wire-likematerial.
 2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, including a verticalmounting member for holding the support ring in a horizontal plane forholding a bag on a vertical axis, and a transverse tubular member at theupper end of the vertical member into which said mounting stake can beinserted.
 3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, a vertical mountingmember having a lower end adapted to be pressed into the ground, saidtransverse sleeve defining a handle.
 4. Apparatus as set forth in claim1, including means to lock the primary mounting ring against tilting outof the horizontal plane including a slot in said transverse tubularmember to receive a portion of the primary mounting ring which is offsetfrom the mounting stake.
 5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, includinga mounting sleeve secured to the primary ring at the junction betweenthe mounting stake and the ring and disposed with its axis perpendicularto the plane of the support ring, and means to close the upper end ofthe sleeve, whereby the support ring can be mounted on a horizontalplane for vertical filling by fitting the sleeve over a verticalsupport, and whereby the sleeve and ring can be used as a handle topress a vertical member into the ground.
 6. Apparatus as set forth inclaim 5, said means to close the upper end of the sleeve comprising arecess formed in the upper end of the sleeve and means to secure aportion of the primary support ring in the recess to extend across theupper end of the sleeve.